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22

Veterans & Service Members lose the battle to suicide per day.

Our Mission is to go a little farther to support the needs of combat veterans.

Team Foster honors the spirit and sacrifice of Captain Erick Foster who was killed while engaging enemy forces in 2007 in Iraq. Erick pushed himself and those around him to be better. Erick is our inspiration.

“What has Team Foster done for me? It’s the contact, the invitations, the constant ‘How are you doing, do you need anything?’ They’re there for us.”

SGT Mike Geib

“Team Foster stuck behind me. When Spence had a hurdle, they provided everything we needed.”

Curtis & Spence

“Because of SSD TieRod and working with the proper people, I no longer look in the rearview mirror, I look out the front windshield because there’s a lot more to see.”

SGM (R) Robert Lighty

— Read More Stories —

Join The Team

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Get Involved

We’re always looking for a few good men and women to share their time and talent during our fundraising events.

Get Involved
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Join An Event

Team Foster events, including cycling, spin events and Veteran fundraisers are expanding!

Join An Event
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Donate Now

More than one in four Veterans suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Find out how you can help.

Donate Now

Team Foster Events

Ruff Ride Philly

Philadelphia, PA

In addition to these events we are expanding and partnering to offer more opportunities for a larger area to raise funds to support Veterans.

Our Sponsors

We are so thankful for the support of these organizations and applaud them for giving back to the service men and women that make our country a safe place to operate. You too can add your company’s mark to our wall of sponsors and become a part of this growing foundation, honoring the life of Captain Foster, those that have fallen alongside him, those that have returned home less-than-able to live the lives that they deserve, and their families.
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Stay Up To Date

newsletters will arrive monthly announcing upcoming events and sharing stories of our Vets, puppies in training and latest grants and honorees

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weareteamfoster  #noheroleftbehind

Jan 21

Open
We talk about it all the time, but what is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)? Simply put, TBI, happens when sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. This can be when the head suddenly or violently hits or is hit by an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters the brain. What are some symptoms of a TBI? Symptoms can include headaches, vision and hearing problems, sleep problems, memory problems, slower thinking, irritability, and depression. Want to learn more? We wrote a whole article on our website answering questions about TBI!

Jan 17

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"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In honoring Dr. King’s legacy and life serving others, this day of service is designed to help empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, address social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

Jan 13

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Hang in there fam. It's.....almost Friday!

Jan 11

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Beginning monthly, we'll be posting some of our vet highlights! For the first of 2022, we'd like to introduce SGM (R) Bob Lighty and SSD TieRod! “Because of SSD TieRod and working with the proper people, I no longer look in the rearview mirror, I look out the front windshield because there’s a lot more to see.” -SGM (R) Bob Lighty Trained by @susquehannaservicedogs, SSD TieRod helps Bob with physical tasks, especially after multiple surgeries from service-related injuries. But beyond that, SSD TieRod picks up on non-verbal cues when Bob is having a bad day. He knows when to “check-in,” curl up in his lap and give him a little extra love. Check out the full story including a video of Bob talking about his experience with Team Foster and SSD TieRod! Link in our bio.

Jan 7

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Ever wonder why organizations like Team Foster exist? Wouldn't you think that the VA would offer their veterans suffering from PTSD and other service related injuries the opportunity to work with a service dog? Unfortunately, that's not the case. Check out our blog post on why the VA won't pay for service dogs to treat PTSD. Click the link in our bio! ☝️🔗 "The VA continues to fund prolonged exposure therapy and antidepressant medications for PTSD, despite the fact that these methods have proven to be only 60% effective, according to the article. So when will the VA conclude research on the effectiveness of service dogs and implement these long-awaited assistance programs? Since 2011, the body of clinical research and data on the long-term effects of service dogs has grown greatly. This is a hopeful sign, yet Veterans continue to wait with no near-term support from the government in sight."

Jan 4

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Today is National Trivia day so we're coming at ya with some trivia Team Foster Style. How many U.S. servicemembers between 2000-2019 have suffered from a Traumatic Brain injury (TBI)? Greater or less than 200,000? . . . . . If you guessed greater, you're correct! The actual number is around 400,000. Service dogs can help those who suffer from TBI!

Jan 2

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Throwback to when then-candidate Chrissy Houlahan came out for Ruff Ride Philly 2018. She linked up with Erica Webster and these 2 badass Vets spun together. Who will we see this year? Just 24 hours left at the $22 discounted price. Are you in?? Registration link in bio. https://teamfoster.org/ruffridephilly #ruffridephilly #spincuddlerepeat #weareteamfoster #noheroleftbehind #veterans #philadelphia

Dec 31

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Ruff Ride Philly ‘22 registration launches at the drop of the ball! At 12am this link goes live and you’ll get to secure you and your team a spot at a discounted rate. $22 for 2 days in ‘22! https://teamfoster.org/event/ruffridephilly/ New to the sport of ‘Ruff Riding’? The concept is simple: registered teams are assigned a spin bike. Teammates then take turns keeping their assigned bike going for 24 hours. Part competition, all fun, Ruff Ride brings real-time scoreboards, music, food, games, spin classes, challenges and all the dogs you can handle to create a festival-like atmosphere. Ride for five (5) minutes or five (5) hours, anyone can Ruff Ride! Team Foster’s Ruff Ride: 24-hour Spin Relay raises money for Team Foster, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. #SpinCuddleRepeat #RuffRidePhilly

Dec 31

Open
This. This is the why. The rides. The spins. The grind. The donations. The sweat. The tears. ⠀ ⠀ No Hero Left Behind isn’t just a catch phrase. It’s a culture, it’s a mantra, it’s a way of existing. Team Foster is honored to carry on Captain Erick Foster’s legacy by helping every Veteran we can. ⠀ ⠀ Thank YOU - our volunteers, our participants, our donors, our sponsors - for making this a reality. ⠀ ⠀ #weareteamfoster #noheroleftbehind ⠀

Dec 28

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A phenomenal note to close out the year. Team Foster is proud to announce that the Odyssey Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to further our mission of ensuring injured and disabled Veterans get the service dogs they need. Thank you to the Odyssey Group and a very special thanks to Danielle Westen. Not only is Danielle a phenomenal athlete, she raises thousands of dollars for TF, and she was instrumental in making this happen. Thank you Odyssey Foundation and Danielle! #weareteamfoster #noheroleftbehind

Dec 27

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The holiday festivities aren't over just yet! Set your alarms for Ruff Ride Philly 2022 registration open at midnight on January 1st! Not only will registration be open, it's offered at a discounted price! If you didn't see our last video, RR Philly 22 will be held at the iconic Lincoln Financial Field. Ruff Ride Philly dates are set for June 4th and June 5th 2022 so mark your calendars now and start getting those teams together! #spincuddlerepeat

Dec 24

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Twas' the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a cute, tiny, baby, puppy 🎄 🎅

Dec 23

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Ho! Ho! Ho! Ruff Ride is coming! Ruff Ride is coming! #spincuddlerepeat

Dec 21

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Ho ho ho! Looks like Santa visited SSD Cookie Dough! We spoke to Santa and he personally said that SSD Cookie Dough was SUCH a good girl this year and can expect many presents under the tree on Christmas morning! 🎄 🎁

Dec 17

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Happy National Under Dog Day! Here's to all the under dogs out there💪 Under dog: a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest. Not our dogs though, our service dogs are TOP dogs.

Dec 13

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Happy Monday. Can we go back to bed yet? #wakemeupwhenitstuesday

Dec 11

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3pm today for this age old rivalry! At TF, we have both Army and Navy vets so good luck to both teams today! Just kidding. GO ARMY BEAT NAVY! #goarmybeatnavy *This post was clearly written by an Army Soldier

Dec 9

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$100,000… AGAIN in 2021! On Veterans Day, Team Foster was honored to present Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD) with a check for $100,000 to continue our partnership with this wonderful organization. What makes this partnership so successful is our shared vision: to help Veterans lead the life they deserve to lead. We partnered with SSD because they are an elite and accredited organization equipped with the staff, knowledge, and experience to successfully train each service dog and partner them with a Veteran that they see fit. SSD has the incredibly tough job of not only training a puppy on basic tasks and skills but also training them to the individual needs of each Vet. Team Foster continually recognizes SSD’s hard work and dedication, which is why we are thrilled to be able to continue supporting this partnership. Thank you, SSD, for sharing our vision and helping ensure “No Hero Left Behind.” Another thank you is in order. We host events and fundraisers, and ask for your time and donations. Why? So we can write these big checks (literally) to our partners and support top-tier training of service dogs for the veterans who need it the most. This is the result of your hard work and we wouldn’t be able to do it without your continued support. Thank you❤️

Dec 7

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Today we remember this day in 1941 as the attack on Pearl Harbor. Just before 0800 on December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces deployed hundreds of fighter planes to descend on the U.S. naval base, Pearl Harbor. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack with more than 1,000 wounded. This event prompted president at the time, Franklin Roosevelt, to declare war on Japan. Today we remember the brave men and women who fought, during this time, to protect our country.

Nov 30

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Happy “Giving Tuesday”! Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and acts as a global generosity movement encouraging people and organizations to use their power to transform their communities. On this #givingtuesday we ask that if you can’t make a monetary donation, you check out some of our amazing volunteer opportunities so we can give back to our veterans who have given this country so much. Click the link in our bio to donate or check out how you can get involved! #givingtuesday #givingback